John Sheppard (c1515-1558): Ave maris stella

Ave maris stella is a Marian Hymn intended to be sung at First Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Like most that remains of John Sheppard's (c1515-1558) music it's drawn from the Offices of the major feasts in the liturgical year. The backbone of the piece is the chant which moves forward in long note values and anchors the suspensions.

John Sheppard: Verbum caro factum est Like most of his surviving music John Sheppard's 'Verbum caro factum est' was composed for the Sarum rite. It's a Respond to be sung at Matins and at Mass on...

Feature: Sheppard: Missa Cantate It turns out that the two things I'd been taught about the English renaissance composer John Sheppard (c1515–1558) are not in fact true. There's no evidence that he was ever...

John Taverner: Gaude plurimum To judge from the number of surviving copies of Taverner's Marian Antiphon "Gaude plurimum" – and their wide distribution, Taverner's contemporaries thought very highly of it. Marian antiphons such as...